Claudio Ranieri rates tonight's Champions League semi-final as the biggest game of his life.

Chelsea flew to Monaco yesterday for the first leg and coach Ranieri said: "This is very important for me.

"This is a big game for me, this has been my first time in the Champions League and the first time in the semi-final.

"It's all new to me even though I have a lot of experience in the Italian, Spanish and English cups."

The Italian finds himself in the unusual position of having most of England behind him in his quest to lift the European trophy.

Ranieri has won the public's sympathy after the way he has been treated by his bosses at Stamford Bridge, who have so far refused to confirm he will still be in a job next season despite him leading Chelsea into the Champions League semi-finals and a possible runners-up place in the Premiership.

"I can say only `thank you' to everybody, for me it is a good vitamin," said Ranieri.

"I want to win, I want to achieve something important for Chelsea, that is my goal."

Ranieri will decide on his team after tonight's training session in the Stade Louis II, but he must do without Damien Duff and William Gallas, who failed to travel because they both have a fever.

The loss of Republic of Ireland winger Duff will be a blow, especially as Chelsea believe they need to continue their record of scoring at least one away goal in every round of the competition in order to help them make it through to next month's final.

Ranieri said: "Damien is our wizard and without him we must try to do something good. I always pick my team on the night before the match and this will be the same.

"I always look at the final training session and feel something is right with this player and maybe not quite right with another.

"I am hoping that everyone will be okay but I will see how they are.

"It is important to score away, we have done it so far and it is important to keep it going. My mentality is always to win everywhere and I am always confident.

"In England all the people say we are favourites, in Portugal all the people say Porto are favourites, in Spain all the people say Deportivo are favourites and it is the same here in France with Monaco. I think the chances are 25pc for each team. There are no favourites now because without the true favourites there are four surprise packages and all the teams have a good opportunity."

The pair played together for West Ham last season and Cole said: "I always knew Edouard had good temperament and ability and if he had been given more chance, things may have been very different for him in England.